British officials are still trying to track down 283 People who flew from the Chinese city of Wuhan to the UK before travel restrictions were imposed in the coronavirus crisis.
The travellers had left Wuhan after the virus emerged, but efforts to track them down and assess them began last week as the crisis intensified.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have since suspended UK-China flights and the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency .
A total of UK nationals and family members have been evacuated to Britain from Wuhan – the city in Hubei province at the epicentre of the breakout – on two flights which arrived on Friday and Saturday.
The UK evacuees are currently undergoing days in quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.
On Monday, the British embassy in Beijing announced the last flights from China to the UK for British nationals would be leaving this week.
It said flights would be run by “partner countries” and any British nationals and their immediate families, including those with non-UK passports, must make themselves known if they wish to travel.
The number of deaths from the coronavirus outbreak in China has risen to 502, with the total number of cases now standing at , , Chinese officials said on Tuesday.
The latest figures are up from (deaths and 28, confirmed cases on Monday.
The Department of Health said on Monday that (UK tests for coronavirus have connected, with a total of two coming back positive.
The two infected people – a University of York student and one of their relatives – Continue to be treated for coronavirus in the specialist infectious diseases unit at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The first confirmed fatality from Coronavirus was in the Philippines – a 71 -year-old Chinese man who appeared to have been infected before arriving in the country, according to the WHO.
Hong Kong also reported its first death linked to the virus on Monday, that of a – year- old man who had traveled to the territory from Wuhan.
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Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has since approved a temporary ban on all travellers, except Filipinos, from China and its autonomous regions.
The US, Japan, Singapore and Australia have imposed similar restrictions despite criticism from China and an assessment from the WHO claiming they are unnecessarily damaging trade and travel.
The Chinese government has accused the US of causing “panic” in its response instead of helping.
UK officials have said there are no plans to introduce such a travel ban on foreign nationals who had recently been in China from entering the country.
Coronavirus: Teacher speaks from isolation Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the virus would be around for several months yet.
In a statement to the Commons on Monday, he said: “Currently the number of cases is doubling every five days and it’s likely that the virus will be with us for at least some months to come.
“This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
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